


nightmares

by calaofnoldor



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Dwalin Is A Softie, F/M, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Protective Dwalin, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:58:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calaofnoldor/pseuds/calaofnoldor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a bad dream causes dwalin to reconsider your status in the company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nightmares

_“Dwalin…” your voice croaks out weakly from behind him._

_He whirls around in a flash, one ax held high at the ready. Eyes flitting about for any signs of contiguous danger, they widen in uncharacteristic fear when the warrior finally catches sight of the blood on your tunic, oozing relentlessly through your fingers, which clutch tightly at the wound in your stomach._

_As your knees suddenly give way and you begin to crumble to the ground, Dwalin surges forward instinctively, catching you in his powerful arms and pulling you to rest upon his fur-lined chest. “Easy, easy, lass! I’ve got you.”_

_Shaky fingers find their way to his face, brushing lightly along the hardened scars, as you look lovingly into his eyes. Only two haunting words leave your lips before your eyes flutter shut, “For Erebor.”_

_“No.” Dwalin curses, “No, no, no!”_   

* * *

You awake to violent thrashing and screams of your name, followed by anguished chants of no’s. Propping yourself up on an elbow, you quickly go to wake the dwarf from what you can only assume to be a terrible nightmare.

“Dwalin?” You shake him gently by the shoulders, “Dwalin, wake up! Dwalin!”

Still stuttering and grumbling, his eyes fly open and immediately begin to search desperately for you. Despite the darkness and his own flustered state, Dwalin almost instantly recognizes your concerned features hovering above him, and before he can even release a sigh of relief, the massive dwarf has you engulfed in a lung-restricting bear hug.

But you do not complain, only stiffening slightly at the abrupt sound of his muffled sobs. “Shhh, it’s alright. It’s OK. It was only a dream,” you coo quietly as soon as he lightens his grip and you are able to breathe once more.

Dwalin responds by burying his head in your chest. Still holding you tight, he nestles his entire body into yours, melding them together as if they were two adjoining puzzle pieces. You manage to reach one arm around to caress the back of his head, before trailing your fingertips downwards to soothingly trace the intricate designs of the tattoos sprinkled across his broad back.

As you work the familiar landscape, you can feel his tears wet the cloth of your nightshirt, saturating it within minutes. Your brows furrow. In all these years, you had never known anything, be it physical or spiritual, to frighten or disturb your hardy warrior dwarf like so.

“ _Amralime_ , what happened? What did you dream of?” You ask softly when the sobbing subsides. After some more gentle coaxing, Dwalin finally speaks coherent words.

“I- I dreamt I lost you,” comes his gruff voice from beneath you, still laced with distress.

The corners of your lips pull up a little, “You silly dwarf. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.” Leaning back to gaze into his eyes, you continue to assure him in a calming whisper, “I will always be beside you. Any demons of yours are demons of mine, and we will fight them together.” Sighing, you plant a tender kiss to his forehead. “Now get some sleep, my valiant warrior.”  

* * *

The next morning, you are surprised to awaken in an empty bed. Crawling out of the covers, you saunter off in your nightclothes, following the sound of a distant clatter. “Dwalin? What are you doing?” You inquire groggily, as you take in the frenzied mess that is your living room. “Are you packing for the quest? I thought we weren’t leaving until next week?”

“You’re not going.” He does not even look up from his continuous drudgery.

“What?”

“You’re _not_ ,” He repeats, more firmly than before, “going.“

You let out a quiet, uncertain laugh. “What do you mean I’m not going? Of course I’m going. Dwalin, we’ve been planning this for years and–”

“I said, you’re not going!” He growls conclusively, still avoiding your eyes.

Your mouth falls ajar, but you quickly regain yourself. “Is this about the dream you had last night? I told you, it was only a dream.”

Dwalin doesn’t seem to hear you, carrying on with his ruckus. “You’ll slow us down,” he asserts coolly, as he finally locates his bedroll and roughly wipes the spider webs off, “We can’t afford any setbacks.”

You stare at him in disbelief, stunned not only by his harsh words, but also the way in which he uttered them with such nonchalance. “I cannot fight every battle with you distracting me, always thinking to protect you. Watching over Thorin and his nephews will be hard enough.”

“I am a good fighter.” You state fiercely, feeling your own temper rise. “You know that. You trained me yourself! I may not be the best, but how many could compete with you? Besides, I am certainly not inferior to the likes of Bifur or Ori, and yet I don’t see you trying to rid them from the company!”

“Because they are not my One!” He hollers back at you, slamming his fists upon the coffee table. Dwalin looks to you for only a second before lowering his gaze once more, shaking his bowed head in defeat. “You don’t know, Y/N. How real it was… I felt your body go limp in my arms! I watched you die!”

His resolve finally breaks, and he looks up at you with heartbreaking eyes. You instantly rush over to him and press your forehead against his. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you feel your own eyes begin to swell with oncoming tears.

“I can't let you get hurt. I can't _see_ you get hurt. I don’t know what I’d do with myself.” Dwalin’s voice shakes with emotion.

Closing your eyes, you let a single tear spill onto your cheek. “The future is never a promise, but my words to you are. I will always be beside you. And when there is something worth fighting for, we fight together. Because we’re stronger this way.” And with that, you both lean in for a sloppy kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> dwalin needs more love!


End file.
